A Superb Gilt-Bronze and Iron Kila Mark and Period of Yongle

the handle made up by a three-headed deity wearing an elaborate crown, with his hair bound by a snake, the centre of the handle inscribed vertically, Da Ming Yongle nian shi, the lower half with the seperately cast tripartite iron blade issuing from the jaws of a makara, with snakes writhing in and out of the open mouth, fitted metal stand

The Speelman Collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7th October 2006, lot 802.

Robert E. Fisher, Art of Tibet, London, 1997, pl. 72. 
David Weldon, 'The Perfect Image: The Speelman Collection of Yongle and Xuande Buddhist Icons', Arts of Asia, 1996, pp. 64-73. 

The dagger is in excellent condition. As a ritual object that would have been handled, it is not surprising that the gilding shows occasional signs of wear.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Kila (Tbt. purba), literally a nail or stake, is the ultimate weapon against the enemies of Dharma, the Universal Buddhist Law. The origin of the ritual implement lies at the heart of Indian Vedic tradition with the demise of the primordial cosmic serpent Vritra and the resulting flow of life-giving waters. The weapon of destruction, and consequent creation, was the central shaft, kila, of Indra’s vajra thunderbolt, stretching down to earth from the realm of the gods. In Tibetan Buddhist ritual the kila is used to trap and destroy demons of the mind, the obstructions on the path to enlightenment. The mystical power of the implement, embodied in the fierce heads and grip, is invoked to subdue negativity and malicious influences that are trapped and destroyed by the blade. A kila is wielded by an adept in an individual act of exorcism, while a set of ten kila are employed during ceremony to prepare hallowed ground, such as for the construction of a mandala or a monastery foundation; a set of five kila, possibly Yongle and from the same series as the Speelman example are preserved in the collection of Sakya monastery, see Li Yicheng, Xueyu Mingcha Sajia Si [Famous Sakya Monastery on Snowland], Beijing, 2006, p. 45; for a Tibetan example from such a group, see Jane Casey, Naman P. Ahuja, and David Weldon, Divine Presence: Arts of India and the Himalayas, Barcelona, 2003, p. 160, pl. 54. The implement has myriad conceptual and physical forms that represent the power of Tibetan tantric deities including Vajrakila, Hyagriva and Achala.

Ritual implements from the Yongle workshops are rare compared with the relatively large number of deities cast in gilt bronze, yet the modelling of the kila is recognisably similar to the sculptures; compare with the wrathful faces with almost identical expression to the secondary heads of the Speelman Vajrabhairava, sold in these rooms, 7th October 2006, lot 812. The unembellished disc earrings are however unusual and not generally seen elsewhere in the oeuvre, where earrings are most commonly studded with jewels.

The massive trilobate iron blade issues from the mouth of a makara, the Leviathan sea-monsters said to balance the universe on their backs as they move through the cosmic ocean. Serpents slither in and out of the mouth of the monster. Endless knots and elegant lotus leaves form the grip while three wrathful faces above guard all directions with glaring eyes. The iron blade is so seamlessly joined to the gilt bronze handle as to appear as one, testimony to the consummate skill of the Yongle court craftsmen.